Outline

Gameful Learning

(5-minutes)

What is “gameful” learning?
Why is it important for student learning?

Puzzle Design

(15-minutes)

How do these activities look?
How were they designed?

Implementation

(5-minutes)

How are these activities used in class?

What is decodeR?

Why puzzles?

Well designed games emphasize engagement, persistence, and resiliance in the face of setbacks. Games encourage players to act creatively, and collaboratively, to learn new content and skills, and to develop expertise (Hayward and Fishman 2020).

Self-Determination Theory

Learning occurs most naturally in environments which support the core psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Deci and Ryan 2012).
Where learners have the ability to:
- make meaningful choices about their environment
- feel skilled and that their skills are being developed by the presence of optimal challenges
- feel connected to others

When these psychological needs are met, learners experience greater intrinsic motivation, which can boost their creativity, attention, persistence, and satisfaction (Deci and Ryan 2012).

Designing Gameful Activities

In video games, players learn simple skills in low-stakes contexts that are then gradually strung together in increasingly complex sequences and scenarios. (Hayward and Fishman 2020)

Kelly’s slides

How are these activities used in class?

Thank you!

A hex sticker with a ...

https://github.com/kbodwin/decodeR

References

Deci, Edward L., and Richard M. Ryan. 2012. “Self-Determination Theory.” In, 416–37. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249215.n21.

Hayward, C., and B. Fishman. 2020. Gameful Learning: Designing with Motivation in Mind. Edited by M. Gresalfi and I. S. Horn. Vol. 2. International Society of the Learning Sciences.